January 6, 2017 - LAW AND RELIGION FORUM

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Liam Ray

Around the Web This Week

Here are some news stories involving law and religion from this past week:

A new study suggests that attendance at more liberal churches is declining, while conservative churches are growing.
The Kentucky legislature moved closer to approving two new restrictions on abortions.
The Pew Research Center has analyzed the religious composition of the 115th Congress; as in the past, it is overwhelmingly Christian.
A federal judge in Texas extended a restraining order preventing new regulations on the disposal of fetal remains from taking effect.
- Another federal judge, this one in New Jersey, ruled that a small town in that state had unconstitutionally prevented the building of a mosque by refusing to issue a building permit on discriminatory grounds.
The U.S. Army has expanded religious freedom protections by allowing lower-level commanders to approve accommodations which previously required Secretary-level approval.
Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine black worshippers in a South Carolina church, claimed during the death penalty phase of his trial that he is not mentally ill.
The Shakers, a strict American religious sect which practices celibacy, lost one of its three remaining members.
Desmond Tutu indicated his support for a “right to die” and asked that he himself be allowed to choose the manner of his death.

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Liam Ray

In March, Yale University Press will release Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman by Itamar Rabinovich (New York University). The publisher’s description follows:
Yitzhak Rabin.jpg More than two decades have passed since prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in 1995, yet he remains an unusually intriguing and admired modern leader. A native-born Israeli, Rabin became an inextricable part of his nation’s pre-state history and subsequent evolution. This revealing account of his life, character, and contributions draws not only on original research but also on the author’s recollections as one of Rabin’s closest aides.

An awkward politician who became a statesman, a soldier who became a peacemaker, Rabin is best remembered for his valiant efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the Oslo Accords. Itamar Rabinovich provides extraordinary new insights into Rabin’s relationships with powerful leaders including Bill Clinton, Jordan’s King Hussein, and Henry Kissinger, his desire for an Israeli-Syrian peace plan, and the political developments that shaped his tenure. The author also assesses the repercussions of Rabin’s murder: Netanyahu’s ensuing election and the rise of Israel’s radical right wing.

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Liam Ray

“The Crisis of Citizenship in the Arab World” (Meijer & Butenschon, eds.)

In March, Brill Publishers will release The Crisis of Citizenship in the Arab World edited by Roel Meijer (Radboud University) and Nils Butenschon (University of Oslo). The publisher’s description follows:

The Crisis of Citizenship in the Arab World argues that the present crisis of the Arab world has its origins in the historical, legal and political development of state-citizen relations since the beginning of modern history in the Middle East and North Africa. The anthology covers three main topics. Part I focuses on the crisis of the social pact in different Arab countries as it became manifest during the Arab Uprisings. Part II concentrates on concepts of citizenship in Islamic doctrine, Islamic movements (Muslim Brotherhood and Salafism), secular political movements and Arab thinkers. Part III looks into the practices that support the claims to equal rights as well as the factors that have obstructed full citizen rights, such as patronage and clientelism.

Contributors are: Ida Almestad, Claire Beaugrand, Assia Boutaleb, Michaelle Browers, Nils Butenschøn, Anthony Gorman, Raymond Hinnebusch, Engin F. Isin, Rania Maktabi, Roel Meijer, Emin Poljarevic, Ola Rifai, James Sater, Rachel Scott, Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, Robert Springborg, Stig Stenslie, Morten Valbjørn, Knut S. Vikør and Sami Zemni.